Recomendations on Hobcaw Barony in Georgetown, SC please
 

Can anyone provide some details/feedback on Hobcaw Baront in SC. At 17500 acres it's area is impressive for a plantation and I hear it has a 3 hour grounds tour but I haven't found much else. Is it comparible to other plantations ?

I would opt for some of the others. Although I've never been there, I think you should look at the plantation tours that they visitor's bureau does every year. That way you can see them all. I think the website is www.visitgeorgetowncountysc.com

I have not yet visited, but a neighbor went and was really impressed with Hobcaw Barony.

You should realize that it is not really a plantation (not like a Hopsewee, south of Georgetown). It is a huge (think size of Manhattan) wild-life preserve on the former site of several plantations. The primary existing structure is the 1930 mansion built by the Baruch family, founder of the current trust that owns the land. Although I understand there are remnants of the past plantations.

Here is the web-site.

http://hobcawbarony.org/

About five years ago, I spent a couple of days/nights at Hobcaw Barony as part of a University event. We were given a tour of the house and grounds, which I suppose is similar to the tour one could take as described on the website. I found the house tour informative and thorough. It's not a beautiful house as some other SC plantations are, but it was very authentic and original. The guide took us into most of the rooms on each floor. The setting beside the water is wonderful.

We actually spend more time touring the grounds and the research facilities set up by a couple of Universities. It is a huge tract of undeveloped and mostly undisturbed coastal land. One unrelated item that I distinctly remember was the multitude of blooming daffodils at friendfield village. It was early spring and the flowers were everywhere. I've thought about going back to see that again, but timing is everything when it comes to the spring bloom.

I would say that it is very different from other plantation tours. It's not really a tourist destination, but rather an authentic historical site set up for purposes of information and education. And knowing this, I think it is certainly worth a visit. Hope this helps.

Go a bit north to Litchfield and visit Huntington Beach State Park and then Brookgreen Gardens. Not a plantation but a beautiful garden with sculptures. Park has great shelling and wildlife.